Machine for shaping uppers over lasts



Feb. 2 1926. 1,571,733

A. F. PYM

MACHINE FOR SHAPING OFFERS OVER LASTS Filed Jan. 7, 1921 2 Shaets -Sheet 1 20a 2:92: 173 Z2 53 Z02 14 160 186 O f 56 0 g a 64 if 52 14 o 3 Z 1 95 x 5 I 33 4 If 3i. 4 1 H 26 a 24 E "6 54 Z0 /z Flgl VENICE/7 Q 6E0 g Feb. 2 1926. 1,571,733

A. F. PYM

MACHINE FOR SHAPING UFPERS OVER LASTS Filed Jan. 7. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I l I l Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR F. PYM, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHIN- ERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR SHAPING- UPPERS OVER LAS'IS.

To all whom it may concern:

in it known that I, ARTHUR F. PYM, a subject of the King of England, residing in l'rvnn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Shaping Uppers Over Lasts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

My invention relates to shoe making, and is illustrated in connection with a machine for improving the shape of the uppers of lasted shoes at the sides of the toes.

The toes of shoes are commonly lasted in what are known as bed lasting machines by the use of wipers shaped in accordance with the requirements of the different styles and sizes of shoes, this type of machine having means for adjusting the wipers in various ways, including means for varying relatively the pressures applied to the upper materials by the edges of the wipers at the end and the sides of the toe. It is the practice, in making the wipers, to determine the curvature of their wiping edges by the use of a pattern having substantially the shape of the insole, so that the wipers are designed substantially to fit the toe end of the insole. While this curvature is doubtless the best for practical purposes, having regard to the conditions met with at different stages in the toe lasting operation, it will be evident that in view of the added thickness of the upper materials, wipers shaped in this manner will not exactly fit the toe of the shoe in upwiping the upper over the last and the edge of the insole, nor on welt shoe work will they exactly conform to the different curvature presented by the margin of the upper materials lying against the rib of the insole at the end of the overwiping operation. Moreover, further deviations from accuracy in the conformity of the edges of the wipers to the curvature of the toe may result from the manner in which the wipers are adjusted by the operator. This may be due not only to lack of care on the part of an operator, but also to the fact that since the gathers or wrinkles in the margin of the upper materials are more pronounced about the end of the toe than at the sides of the toe, operators have a tendency to adjust the wipers to apply relatively greater pres- Serial No. 435,636.

sure at the end of the toe, so that frequently the pressures applied at the sides are not fully adequate to wipe the upper tightly over the last. and the edge of the insole and to press it closely into the angle between the feather and the rib of the insole. \Vhen a shoe has been lasted in this manner, the upper is likely not to be held tightly in the angle at the base of the insole rib at the sides of the toe by the welt-attaching stitches, and as a result in the sole leveling machine the upper may be pressed outwardly in these locations with substantial detriment to the shape of the finished shoe.

The present invention provides a machine for improving the shape of the toes of shoes after the toe lasting operation, so as to avoid objectionable results such as above mentioned. The machine herein shown comprises wipcrs constructed and arranged to engage the side portions only of the lasted toe to shape or mold the upper in the angle between the feather and the rib of the insole, the machine being so organized that the upper at the sides of the too may be wiped up to the edge of the insole and then wiped and molded inwardly in said angle, the wipers having heating means associated therewith for shrinking the upper enough to take up any slack produced by the supplemental wiping operation, thus rendering it unneccssary to reset the lasting tacks or the toe hinder. It is a further desirable characteristic of the construction shown that the wipers are automatically conformable to the lengthwise contour of the sides of the toe. By use of this wiping and molding means the toes of shoes, where conditions render it advisable, may be quickly and efi'ectively treated in such manner as to obviate any undesirable consequences that may result from lack of suflicient wiping pressures at the sides of the toe in the toe lasting operation.

The machine herein shown is adapted for use in carrying out a novelmethod which forms the subject-matter of a divisional application Serial No. 700,843, filed March 21, 1924.

In improving the shape of shoe-uppers, especially when using apparatus of the type illustrated, it is found advantageous to opcrate accordingto a novel method comprising the steps of lasting a shoe and securing the upper materials in lasted position, as by tacking or wiring, and then, after the upper materials have acquired a preliminary set, stretchingthe materials tightly over the shoe bottom, to mold them permanently and accurately to the shape of the last, and to mold them accurately into the angle be tween the feather and the sewing rib. This is best done by progressively wiping the materials upwari'llv against the sides of the last before the inward wiping; operation. to remove all the slack. By supplying heat. the materials shrink sufiiciently to take up this slack and it found unnecessary to reset the lasting tacks or hinder.

The novel features of the invention, including details of construction and combinations of parts, will be described in connec tion with an illustrative apparatus shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the presser or wiper members and their actuating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the. presser members in co-operative relation to a shoe;

Fi n i is an end elevation of Fig. 3 with the shoe and last shown in section; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the toe portion of a lasted shoe.

For convenience of illustration this invention will be described in connection with a machine constructed generally in accordance with Letters Patent No. 1,413,613, rranted on April 25. 1922 upon an application of Charles F. Pym. Parts which are the some. a equivalent to. or analogous to parts illustrated in the said patent, are identified herein by the same reference numerals. Those parts of the machine illustrated therein. which are not required in connection with the present invention, as hereinafter explained, are thrown out of action when the machine is modified for use in side-toe-shapinc.

As shown in Fig. 1. a hollow pedestal 2 has its upper end split and connected by clamping bolts 4-. A head 8 is mounted on a neck 6 which is slidingly mounted in the pedestal 2, in which it may be adjusted by bolts 10 working in lugs 12.

A pulley 46. mounted on a shaft eii. rcceives power from any suitable source by means oi a belt. Also mounted on shait is is a suitable clutch, not shown herein. As shown in the above-identified patent. however, this clutch is actuated to connect the operating mechanism of the machine to the pulley 46, when rod 56 is depressed by trendle 60, through lever 58 and linlr Rod 56 is maintained dci n'esscd by a cam 64. mounted on shaft 66, and acting on cam roll 68. This roll at suitable intervals is pushed upward into notches (5 by spring 54, causing theoperating parts of the machine to come to rest. During the first and longer period of operation, until roll (is is pushed into the notch 65 which is uppermost in Fig. i, the machine is actuated to clamp the presser members into shaping engagement with a shoe. During." the second period oi" operation, the prcsscr members and the actuating mechanisms are returned to initial position.

A bracket 22 is mounted on the front of pedestal 2, and carries a support 20, for a sleeve 1b.. A shoe-support 55% is carried bv a sliding member 34 mounted to reciprocate in sleeve 18. and in a sleeve 32 carried by head An adjustable stop 28 closes the bottom of sleeve 18. and maintains under tension a spring (not shown) inside of the sleeve. as in the machine described in the ahove-idcntiiied patent. Member 30 is reciprocate-d at. the proper time by a lever 24'. pivoted at 26, and bearing a cam roll 140 actuated by a suitable cam on shaft 66. The shaft (56 is driven from shaft 44, when the clutch is closed, by mechanism indicated at 72--74, and described in detail in the prior patent.

(lo-operating with the shoe-support 38 is a hold-down device 142. carried by a rod 144-. and having teeth or pins on its lower sur face to engage the shoe bottom. This device is reciprocated by a lever 156, pivoted at 158 in a portion H of the frame of the machine. and the lever is l'()(l\'(fl at the desired time by a cam roll 16H riding on a suitable cam on shaft 66. V

The support 38 and hold-down 142 first close on the shoe, and thereafter move together to move the shoe up and down as hereinafter described more fully.

Various parts of the machine described in the above-idcntitied patent are not required for the toe-shaping operation. but need not be removed, as they merely move idly during the actuation of the machine. Among these parts which may be left in the machine if desired. but which are not used. are the wire-reel 290; the wire-cutter 298 actuated by treadle 300: insole-control-actusting lever 172; pincer devices mounted at 234-236, opened and closed by lever Q86. pivoted at 290, and having; an arm 292 carrying a. roll engaging a cam on shaft 66. and moved by lever mounted in bearing All of the foregoing parts are described in detail in the above-identified patent and as these parts are herein shown as being identical with thi e bearing the same reference characters in that patent. further discussion is deemed unnecessary.

This machine has been modified as shown more in detail in Fig. 2 in order to adapt it to secure the desired result. Presser or wiper members 114 containing heating units 1.15 are pivoted at 116, as shown in Figs. 2

and 3, to oscillating arcuate plates 110 carried in a semi-circular recess in wiper head 112. it will be noted that each wiper is formed with a vertically disposed part to engage and press the upper materials against the side of the last, and with a horizontally-projecting part to fit over the shoe bottom, and that the unit 115 disposed longitudinally of the wiper to maintain both parts at a substantially uniform temperature. Also carried by this head 112 are rollers 118 which guide the oscillating plates through arcuate slots 120 formed therein. Bearings 122 mounted in the wiper head 112 carry pinions 124 meshing with rack surfaces on the curved edges of the oscillating plates 110 and smaller pinions 126 meshing with rack bars 128. The wiper head 112 is reeiprocated by suitable connections from cam shaft (56 as shown in the Patent of Charles F. Pym, through a reciprocating rod 106. lack bars 128 are yieldingly maintained stationary by springs 134 contacting with adjustable abutments 132 on the threaded ends of the rack bars, and at their opposite ends through washers 136 with the stationary frame 14. The rack bars are held from motion rearwardly of the machine by adjustable stops 138. When the rod 106 is reciprocated during the cycle of operation, wiper head 112 is pushed forward, pinions 126 riding on the stationary racks 128 are caused to rotate, and through their connection with pinions 124 they move the oscillating plates 110 carrying presser or wiper members 114, about the rollers 118. This motion causes the presser or Wiper members to close on the sides of the toe of a shoe below the insole. During this opera tion, as explained by the above-identified Pym patent, the shoe support 38 and solepresser-foot 142, which hold the shoe, are moved downward. In the former machine, during this movement, pincers draw the upper outwardly over the inwardly moving wipers which correspond to the presser members 114. In the present machine, however, as the pincers are idle. the presser members 114 are free to close inwardly and engage the sides of the upper, and as the shoe is carried downward, they iron or upwipe the upper material against the sides of the last, and thereafter they wipe them tightly inward over the shoe bottom, as shown in Fig. 4. During the ironing movement of the members 114 against the sides of the upper materials. springs 134 yield slightly; and during the inward-wiping movement, the compressed springs help to rock plates 110, thereby to urge members 114 firmly against the shoe. Moreover, if for any other reason the mechanism should not operate freely, l'ili'il bars 128 will be pulled forward against the pressure of springs 134 and members 114 will fail to close. This guards against injury of the shoe in case it is improperly p0- sitioned or in case the machine should not be operated properly. It will be observed that by adjusting abutments 138 the initial position of the members 114 can be adjusted. These members need not be opened as far for a narrow last as for a wide last, and it makes for effective operation to be able to adjust them to the narrowest convenient opening.

In operation, the toe of a lasted shoe is placed on the support 38 and the machine is actuated to close the members 114 against the sides of the toe. As illustrated herein the toe has previously been lasted and is held in position in the usual way by a binding wire. As the members 114 close on the sides of the toe they turn on pivots 116 to engage throughout their lengths with the upper materials of the shoe. In the downward movement of the shoe the members 114 act to upwipe and to iron the upper smoothly against the sides of the last, and thereafter to force the margin tightly inward over the shoe bottom. In the case of a welt shoe as illustrated herein, the upper materials are forced firmly into contact with the insole lip or rib as shown in Fig. 4 and are molded in the angle adjacent to the rib. This movement takes up all the slack in the upper materials, and stretches them firmly about the side toe portions of the last. The heat supplied by the heating units 115 causes the leather to set permanentlyin this tightly lasted position, shaping the upper snugly to the contour of the last and the mso e.

The parts are left clamped in this position as long as necessary to secure the desired result, and the treadle 60 is then again depressed, whereupon the cycle is completed and the various parts are returned to initial position.

While my invention has been described in connection with a machine which is illustrated in detail, it is not the intention to limit its scope thereby.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine for operating at the sides of a toe to improve the shape of an upper secured in substantial conformity to the contour of its last having, in combination. wiping means constructed and arranged to engage the secured upper at the side portions only of the toe while leaving the portions of the upper round the end of the toe free from wiping pressure, and operating means for forcing said wiping means inwardly over the bottom of the shoe in engagement with the upper.

2. A machine for operating at the sides of a toe to improve the shape of an upper secured in substantial conformity to the contour of its lasthaving, in combination, wiping means constructed and arranged to engage the side portions only of the, toe'while leaving the portions ot the upper round the end or the toe tree t'rom wiping pressure. and means for et'l'ectiug relative movement of the shtn and said wiping means to wipe the upper over the sides of the toe to the edge of the shoe bottom and then to wipe the upper inwardly from said edge over the bottom of the last.

3. A machine for operating at the sides of a toe to improve the shape of an upper secured in substantial conformity to the coutour ot' its last and insole having. in combination. wiping means constructed and arranged to engage the side portions only of the toe in locations where the upper is secured in the angle between the feather and the rib ot' theinsols while leaving the portions of the upper round the end at the toe tree from wiping pressure. and mechanism for operating said wiping means to shape the upper in said angle at the sides of the me.

4. A machine for'operating at the sides ot a toe to improve the shape of an upper secured in substantial conformity to the contour of its last and insole having. in combination. wiping means constructed and at ranged to engage thcside portions only of the toe in the angle between the feather and the rib of the insole while leaving the portions of the upper round the end of the toe tree from wiping pressure, said wiping means comprising members automatically comtormable to the contour oi the shoe lengthwise of the, edge of the shoe bottom.

5. A machine for operating at the sides of a toe to improve the shape of an upper se cured in substantial conformity to the corn tour of its last and insole having. in combination. wiping means constructed and arranged to engage the side portions only of the. toe in the angle between the feather and the rib of the insole While leaving the portions of the upper round the end of the toe tree from wiping pressure. said wiping means comprising supporting members mounted for movement laterally ot' the shoe and wiper members pivoted on said support ing members for automatic adjustment in conformity to the contour of the shoe lengthwise of the edge of the shoe bottom.

6. A machine for operating at the sides of a too to improve the shape of an upper secured insubstantial conformity to the contour of its last having. in combination, wipi ing means constructed and arranged to engage the side portions only of the toe while leavingthe portions of the upper round the end of the toe free fromwiping pressurmsaid wi in means com, :I'lSl t'nembers havin P b to portions arranged to be forced-inwardly oventheimargin'wofith'e shoeybottom in ip-- angar;

ing engagement with the upper and other portions arranged to press against the .upper on the sides of the last adjacent to the edge of the shoe bottom.

7. A inaehine for operating at the sides of a toe to improve the shape of an upper secured in substantial conformity to the contour of its last having, in combination, wiping means constructed and arranged to engage the side portions onlyof the toe while lea viug the portions of the upper round the end oi the toe free from wiping pressure. said wiping means comprising members having portions arranged to beforcedinward- 1y over the margin of the shoe bottom 'in wiping engagement with the upper and other portions arranged to press against the upper on the sides of the last adjacent to the edge of the shoe bottom. and means to heat said members.

ti. In a shoeshaping machine, a support for a lasted shoe. upper-shaping wipers constructed and arranged and free to move antomatically to engage throughout their lengths with the side toe portions only of the shoe. regardless of the shape of the last. and means relatively to-tnove said support and said wipers to engage the wipers against the side toe portions of the upper and cause them to iron the upper into conformity with the sides of the last, and thereafter to move the wipers inwardly over theshoe bottom to shape the side toe portions of the upper over the bottom of the last.

9. in a shoe-shaping machine. a support for a lasted shoe, uppenshaping wipers const ructed and arranged automatically to engage throughout their. lengths with the side too portions only of the shoe, regardless of the shape of the last, means to heat said wipers. and means relatively to move said support and said wipers to engage the wipers against the side toe/portions ot' the upper and cause them to iron the upper into conformity with the sides of the last. and thereafter to move the wipers inwardly over the shoe bottom to shape the side too portions of the upper over the bottom of the last.

10. A machine for operating at the sides of a toe to improve the shape of an upper secured in substantial conformity to the contour of its last having. in combination. a toe supporting member. a holding member. levers to move said members together to clamp the toe. ol it lasted shoe thercbotween and thereafter to move them in unison to move the shoe. and wiping means constructed and arranged to engage the-side toe portions only of the toe of the shoe while leaving the portions of the upper round the end of the toe free from wiping pressure, said levers being arranged :to move the shoe relatively to the wiping means in'engagement therewith so that; the wiping imeanssmooths the shoe-upponagaimst the sides of the last -and' thereafter to hold the shoe while the Wiping means move inwardly over the shoe bottom.

11. A wiper for a machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a portion to fit the feather of an insole and press the upper materials tightly against the sewing rib, a portion substantially at right angles thereto toprcss and smooth the upper materials against the side of the last, and a recess longitudinally of the body of the wiper having an electric heating unit therein to maintain both portions of the wiper at a sul'istantially uniform temperature.

l2. In a machine of. the class described, the combination with means for positioning a welt shoe having its upper fastened at the toe in lasted position, of n'iembers construct ed and arranged to engage the shoe simultaneously at the sides only of the toe portion between the upper fastening means and the edge of the insole to mold the upper in the angle between the feather and the rib ot' the insole.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for positioning a well: shoe having its upper fastened at the toe in lasted positlon, of members constructed and arranged to engage the shoe simultaneously at the sides only of the lasted toe portion to mold the upper in the angle between the leather and the rib of the insole, and means for heating said members.

14. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for positioning a welt shoe having its toe portion lasted, of

members constructed and arranged to engage sil'nultaneously the sides only of the lasted toe, each of said members having pressure applying faces in fixed relation to each other for molding and shaping the upper in the angle between the feather and the rib of the insole and also on the sides of the last below the edge of the shoe bottom.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for positioning a shoe having its too portion lasted, of members constructed and arranged to engage the sides only of the lasted toe to apply supplemental upper shaping pressure to the shoe, said members being mounted for turning movements about axes extending heightwise of the shoe to conform automatically to the lengthwise contour of the sides of the shoe.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR F. PYM.

Certificate of Correction. It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,571,733, granted February 2,

1926, upon the application ofArthur F. Pym, of L nn, Massachusetts, for an improvement 1n Machines for Shaping Uppers Over iasts, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, strike out the paragraph beginning with the Word In in line 105 and ending with the word binder in line 14, page 2; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with giis OOIBBEii'IiOII therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the atent ce. Signed and sealed this 25th day of May, A. D. 1926.

[SEAL] WM. A. KINNAN,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

